Press enter after choosing selection

A Word Of Solemn Warning

A Word Of Solemn Warning image
Parent Issue
Day
31
Month
March
Year
1893
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The election Monday will decide the future of the democracy in Washtenaw county. Never, since it became the majority party in the county, has it been threatened with such serious danger as today. The republicans have at various times endeavored to break our majority, happily, so far, without success. This spring they have seized what seems to them an opportunity to break the party in such a way as to make its future success extremely precarious. The Argus raises its voice in solemn warning to the democracy of the county. It states it as its solemn conviction that if Judge Kinne should be re-elected next Monday, the next county officers will be republican, and a fight will have started in the county whïch nothirg can allay. This may seem strong talk, but it is the solemn truth. There are in this county probably about3ooo democratie voterswho are in religiousbeliefeitherLutheransor Catholics, of this number probably a little less than 1,500 are Catholics, and a little over 1,500 are Lutherans. Without the votes of either of these the democratie party would be in a large minority inWasetenaw. Shrewd republican politicians have recognizea tms ana nave sougtit to introduce an element of religious warfare into the campaign. Know''ing fullwell that ifthey can turn the Luíheran vote against the Catholics, and the Catholic vote against the Lutherans, the democratie party would be the losers, and the republicans would control the county. Such being the situation, the republicans, obtained a personal letter from a man in Monroe to a man in Washtenaw. They then got the Washtenaw man to drinking so that he gave up the letter, which was at once taken to Judge Kinne and published by the republicans in circular form, and distributed through the county. This fact is more fully explained in another column. The design of the republicans in resorting to this low and contemptible political trick was to introduce into the campaign the question of religión. Religión has nothing to do with politics. Our forefathers wisely separated church and state, and church fights have no business in politics. No warfare is half so bitter as a religious warefare. Our fathers stood for freedom of religious belief. Let u's of this latter day maintain that freedom. And so the Argus urges upon democrats the extreme importance of seeing that this fine-laid republican scheme miscarries; that this low, contemptible trick is properly rebuked; that every democratie vote is polled; that the ranks are closed up, and that the democratie party rise up as a whole and testify to their advocacy of the freedom of religious belief. Never, in its history, has the Argus been so much in earnest in the expression of its opinión as it is today. It would hesitate about stating in such plain terms the danger in the pathway of the party, did it not sincerely believe that defeat in the contest of Monday would inaugúrate a split in our ranks which would be past healing. Democrats! awake and be on your guardl Every true Democrat will vote for Gilday, Monday. Democrats, be up and doing, Monday. See that your vote is out. We have an excellent state ticket. See to it that it gets a big vote in Washtenaw, and that Michigan is redeemed. Patrick O'Hearn has made such a good assessor thát he has been named on all four tickets, and will be unanimoHsly re elected. Noah G. Butts, who has been renominated for justice, has always carried the republican sijcth ward. As, that is where he liyes, it shows the good opinión those who should know him best have of him. The spring election is of more importance to the democrats as a party than any in recent years. The crisis in thé history of democracy in Washtenaw has arrived. Let all democrats come out and show their democracy. s When a defeated candidate in a Democratie convention accepts a uomination at the hands of a Republican convention he can expect no Democratie votes and ought to loóse a good many Republican votes besides. William J. Miller has made a most excellent city clerk. He has devoted his whole time to it, has always been prompt, accommodating and efficiënt. He is a faithful public servant, a fine man, and should have his reward in a large majority. Is this city ticket of Moran's, first nominated in Moran's shorthand school, a Republican ticket or a Municipal club ticket. It isprinted three times on the ballots each time with a different heading. Hovv do the Republican's like the fusión? Is Moran their political Moses? W. W. Watts, our nominee for president of the council, is too well acquainted with the Argus readers, for whom he has written many columns of news, to need extended commendation. He has a good knowledge of parliamentary law, and would expedite business. He has a good knowledge of business and of city affairs, and will prove a jood official, Hon. Edward R. Gilday is one of the finest men in the state. Everyone who has been brought into contact with him must admit his evident capacity. He is about forty-five years of age, has served the city of Manroe for years on the school aoard and for several terms as mayor. He has also been county clerk and prosecuting attorney of Monroe. He graduated from the law department in 1875, and has enjoyed a large and extensive practice. What the Register don't know about politics would fill a very large volume. It again exposes its ignorance of politics by arguing that because a member of the Democratie city ticket sent out a few letters to his personal friends requesting their votes there was lack of harmony between the candidates. Then Judge Kinne must also be accused of being out of harmony with his ticket because he did the same thing. In both cases the letters were proper methods of campaigning. Eugene G. Mann, our candidate for mayor, is a man of spotless character, jincorruptibly honest, who cannot be dragged into any scheme by which so many men seek to aggrandize themselves or friends at the expense of the public. He is a clear, logical reasoner, a man of good iudgment, who cannot be swerved from what he thinks the right course by fear or favor, a gradúate of the civil engineering department of the University, a man familiar with the city's needs. As Col. Dean said in the republican convention: "The democitts have nominated one of the cleanest men in the city for mayor." Whenthey have done that, they should be couraged by his election. Eugene G. Mann's majority in this city should be over 200. The Register makes a violent and false attack upon the personal character of Eugene G. Mann, who has lived all his life in Ann Arbor and whom every one knows to be as Col. Dean stated before the Republican convention "one of the cleanest men in Ann Arbor." To show the slight ground for the Register's tirade, we may state that the mayor is no longer a member of the council and that he can do nothing in reference to the putting in of sewers without the direction of the council. The mayor is the executive officer of the city, the council is the legislative body. But the whole affair is almost too ridiculously to notice. The spectacle of Selby A. Moran calling Eugene G. Mann names is aboul as ridiculous asitwouldbe for the pot to cali a bright new China dish, black. The democratie party have a good aldermanic ticket this spring. Three of them are on both tickets. The city is to be congratulated that the services of Aid. Martin, of the secondward, will be retained. He has proven himself a most valuable member of the council. The fifth ward will return ex-Mayor Manly unanimously, and no one doubts that their needs will be attended to. Aid. Ferguson willbe returned from the fourth ward. He has proven an intelligent and efficiënt man. The contests for aldermen will be in the first, third and sixth wards. In the first ward the democrats have nominated Dr. D. A. McLachlan, whose professional knowledge would be of great value while the question of sewerage is under consideration. He is a good, clean man, and should pull his full party strength besides many republican votes. In the third ward a lively race is on, William Clancy, jr., who put up such a stiff race for alderman last yèar, is again doing effective hustling. In the sixth ward Richard E. Jolly,a young business man, who joined the party with other Cleveland republicans, will make the race. He is entitled to a good vote. The Democrats of the county have made some excellent nominations for supervisors. In the city Eugene Oesterlin and James Kearns will be re-elected by rousing majorities. Emanuel Wagner in the first ward, John S. Carrol in the fourth, and George W. Weeks in the fifth will prove good supervisors if elected. In the sixth Evart H. Scott has a walk away. In Ann Arbor town Charles Braun, a good supervisor and a fine man, will be returned to the board. Ben Chase, of Manchester, will give Tom Burtless a liyely hustle and the town has an opportunity to redeem herself. Mr. Alber, the new supervisor from Freedom is a young, clean man. Frank Duncan will return from Northfield as a Democrat. Peter T. Gill should receive a large majority in Superior, and old friends will be glad to see his return to the board. M. Sage will do his duty by Lodi this year as last, there being no opposition to him. Torn McQuillan will grace the board from Dexter and Jedele will be back from Scio. Frank Sweetland should be the next supervisor of Sylvan. He is a good man, and Gilbert has filled the place so many years that it must be nearly time for. a change. Walter Dancor has been named in Lima, a good man and true. The names of the other candidates have not been received at this writing, but if they are of men of the calibre of the preceeding, Washtenaw will have a good board of supervisors this year.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News